Saving Valentine's Day
by pottermum
Summary: Harry has been held up at work on Valentine's Day, and Ginny is not happy. Will this be their worst Valentine's day ever...or possibly their best! Written for the H/G Valentine's Day challenge on Tumblr, discord and reddit.


Harry Potter stumbled out of the fireplace, muttering to himself, much to the amusement of his mother-in-law, Molly Weasley. Contrary to popular belief, he usually travelled quite smoothly through the Floo system these days, but he was in such a hurry to get to his destination this time that he'd moved forward before he'd actually arrived.

"Is she here?" he asked Molly, the she in question being his wife, Ginny. He could clearly see Molly was all alone in the lounge, but he did hope Ginny may be upstairs. Until Molly shook her head, sympathy on her face.

"I know, I'm late. Is she mad?" He knew Ginny had been excited about today; he'd always planned a special dinner for Valentine's Day. He hadn't even been able to fire-call and tell her himself, rather, he'd had to hastily jot down a quick note and send it off with one of the Ministry owls. And now here it was, nine o'clock, and their dinner plans were ruined.

"Not mad...more disappointed," replied Molly, "especially when Ron and Hermione left for their dinner. Bill and Fleur fire-called too, from Paris. Percy and Audrey asked her to join them for dinner but she refused. Poor George arrived after Percy had left, so he didn't know she'd already turned Percy down. So when George asked Ginny to join him and Angelina, the poor love got quite a serve about how every one was feeling sorry for her, and she might as well just go home."

Harry felt so bad. "Did she at least get the chocolates I ordered for her? Ron was supposed to pick them up from Hogsmeade for me."

"Oh yes, she got them. Of course, that was earlier in the evening, so she was quite happy with them - then. By the time she had left, though, the box was empty." She decided not tell her only son-in-law how, with every chocolate eaten, Ginny had come up with a new word for her husband, none of which were complimentary.

"Right. Guess I best get home then, face the music. Think I'll just -" He gestured upstairs and Molly nodded knowingly.

"Arthur's up there, so say hello and goodbye to him before you leave," she suggested.

Harry nodded and headed upstairs, wondering what he could do or say to save this Valentine's Day for his wife.

/*/*/*/*

He didn't stumble out of the fireplace on arriving at his home. He did, however, startle when Ginny's monotone voice broke the darkness. "You're finally home." She turned on the light with a flick of her wand. She sat on the sofa, watching him with a cool look in her eye. _What he wouldn't give for a blazing look right about now?_

"I am so, so sorry, love. I know you're disappointed, hell, I am too," said Harry, in what he hoped was an apologetic tone.

" ' _Gin, going to be late, sorry_ '," she quoted his letter, then looked at him. "Harry, that tells me nothing!"

"I'm sorry love, I really thought I would have been out of there hours ago." _Where was a damn time turner when you needed one?_

"I bought you your favourite chocolates," she said, gesturing to a box next to her.

"Thank you love, I -"

"I ate them, every last one," she said, in what was clearly _not_ an apologetic tone. "And now I feel sick, because when I was at the Burrow, I ate the whole box you got for _me._ "

That was clearly _his_ fault. " So, not hungry for dinner then?" He tried to lighten the tense mood.

"Yes I'm bloody well hungry for dinner," she snapped, standing up. " But look at me, I'm a whale!"

Harry dared to move closer. "You look amazing. Stunning, gorgeous. I actually think it's a good thing we missed our dinner reservation, I'd be fighting all the men away from you."

She rolled her eyes at his obvious grovelling. " I hardly think any other man would find this attractive, besides you." She pointed to her lower body.

Harry closed the gap between them, resting his hands on the swell on her abdomen.

She placed her hands over his. "I really wanted you with me today," she reprimanded gently.

"I hated to miss it. Is everything all right?" he asked. Today had been the second scan of the baby, at twenty weeks gestation.

"Everything was fine, but..." She bit her bottom lip, looking up at him warily.

"What, what is it?" he asked, his heart beating faster at the thought there might be something wrong.

"I found out the sex of the baby," she admitted. " I didn't mean to, I know we agreed, but, well, she was actually facing the camera, and it was pretty obvious there was something different from both James and Al's scans."

"She? It's a girl?" At Ginny's nod, Harry picked her up and twirled her around. "It's a girl! We're having a girl!"

"Oy, put me down, or you'll end up with a lot of chocolate vomit down your back," laughed Ginny.

He put her down, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her. "My beautiful, clever wife! Two wonderful boys and now we're having a girl. I can't believe it." He felt giddy. A girl!

"So you're pleased, then?" teased Ginny.

He pulled her gently to his chest. " I should have been there. I can't get that moment back, ever. Merlin, Gin, a girl? This is the best gift..." He stopped speaking, moved beyond words.

She had given him a daughter for Valentine's Day.

Ginny hugged him back. "There'll be a couple more scans yet, you'll still get to see your little girl before she's born."

"It's not the same."

"I know." And she did, for he had lamented missing James' first use of magic, and Albus' first steps, being away on assignments each time.

"Gin?"

"Mmm." She was quite content, as he was now rubbing that part of her lower back that ached this late at night.

"I'm going to quit the Aurors," he told her.

She pulled back to look him in the face. "Harry, it's Valentine's Day, not April Fool's."

He shook his head, resting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm not joking. Missing today's appointment with you, and nearly ruining our Valentine's day has made my mind up. I'm going in tomorrow to give my notice. I-I've been thinking about it for awhile."

"I know you haven't been completely happy there, especially this past year," said Ginny, " but - to quit? Harry, are you sure?" She had always been his sounding board when he was frustrated with all the ministry politics, but this...?

He nodded. "They offered me the Head Auror role today."

She sucked in a breath; they had both suspected it was coming. Sure it meant less field time, but it also meant sitting in an office most of the day, more paperwork, more stress, more dealing with the press. All the things Harry despised about being an Auror.

"What will you do?" she asked, hope blooming in her heart. She would always support Harry in his chosen field, but she had never stopped worrying each and every day, till he walked, or stumbled, out of the fireplace each night.

He drew her back down to their comfy sofa, pulling her so she was close, and her legs were over his knees; he massaged her legs. "Well, you know the Daily Prophet offered you that job reporting on the quidditch matches whenever you were ready after the sprog was born. Why don't I stay home with the kids while you start your new job? When you're ready, of course," he hastily added. " I'll have to work a few weeks of my notice but I'll be done by the time she comes." He caressed her bump again.

"Don't call our daughter a sprog." She lay her head on his shoulder, musing on his offer. "You really would be okay with that?"

"Stay home with my kids? Hell, yeah. And you wouldn't need to be away _every_ day, so we'll have more time together as a family. Gin, that's all I ever wanted."

She knew he spoke the truth; he delighted in family time more than anything. Flying with the boys, playing games, taking them on outings, watching them grow and develop. He was a great father, even if at times he doubted himself.

"Did you check on the boys while you were at the Burrow?" she asked him.

Harry nodded. "Arthur was chatting to Teddy, he was the only one of all the grand-kids awake. James was spooning Al in your old bed, like he was protecting him." Harry loved seeing his boys get along.

"I bet Teddy is missing Victoire," smiled Ginny, for her eldest niece had gone to Paris with her parents to visit Fleur's family, a treat for their eldest child. "Just think, you won't miss any more milestones, you'll be here for them all," she said happily. "But what about in eleven years time, when all our kids are at Hogwarts. What will you do then?" she asked.

"Well, you know Macgonall is always on at me about teaching," he shrugged. "It's an option I'd certainly consider...when the time comes." He looked at her seriously. "So, what do you think? I won't do it if you hate the idea."

"Hate the idea of you being home more? Harry, it's brilliant! Are you sure you won't mind me going out to work?"

He shook his head. "I think I like the idea of being a kept man. Home with the kids while my woman is out earning the money."

She giggled, knowing full well that neither of them had to work if they didn't want to, thanks to Harry's inheritance from his parents and Sirius, not to mention her lucrative deals from when she played quidditch, all wisely invested and bringing in a healthy return. " You'll be my full size house elf."

He growled, dragging her onto his knee and nuzzled her neck. "House elf, hey?"

"Only till the children are asleep, then you're my sex slave," she teased.

He threw back his head and laughed, drawing her head to his shoulder and kissed her forehead. "I love you so much, Ginny."

"Harry, this is the perfect gift you could have given me for Valentine's Day," she told him truthfully.

"So, I guess it turned out to be a happy Valentine's day, after all," he said, running his hands over her baby bump, and thrilling to feel his daughter - _his daughter! -_ move under his hands.

Ginny nodded. "The best Valentine's day yet. You never stop surprising me, Harry."

"What about if I told you that in our en-suite I have a hot bath waiting for you, with rose petals floating on top, and a bottle of your favourite non alcoholic drink alongside, with music playing?" he asked. " Would you be surprised about that?"

She sat up; this was more like it! "Really?"

"Just give me five minutes and it will all be ready for you, my love," he vowed.

"Okay, but only if you join me," she winked.

"If you insist," he agreed, teasingly. "Five minutes, tops, love." She shifted her legs to allow him to stand and he hurried from the room, elated to think their Valentine's Day was not ruined after all.

He was heading back down the hall in only three minutes. "Ginny, love, it's ready. Come let me -" He stopped.

Ginny was fast asleep on the sofa, snoring loudly.

Harry crouched down at her side, stroking the hair off her face. "Happy Valentine's day, baby," he whispered, kissing her lips ever so gently.

He hadn't meant to wake her, but she roused. " Izzabaff ready?" she mumbled.

Harry picked her up; despite the extra weight of the baby, she was still easy to carry. "How about we leave it for the morning, you really need your rest."

He began to move towards their bedroom. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Look at us, not even nine thirty and we're going to bed...to sleep! On Valentine's Day!"

"I don't care, this has been a great Valentine's day for me," he told her, moving sideways so she didn't hit her feet on the door frame.

"Me too," she told him, as he lowered her into bed. He went to move upright, but she caught her arms around his neck. "I love you, Harry Potter."

She kissed him and he kissed her right back. "And I love you, Ginny Potter."

She was asleep again within minutes, leaving Harry to assess his future. He was excited about being a stay at home dad, being there and present whenever his kids needed him.

The wizarding world didn't need a hero anymore, and that was fine with Harry, who never considered himself one, anyway.

He'd rather be a hero to his wife and kids, for all the right reasons.

And he was.

~end~

Happy Valentine's Day, lovers!


End file.
